Let words guide you home
by Laternenlicht
Summary: Everytime something goes wrong, Hogan is able to correct it with his words. What if they leave him one day?
1. prologue: words

Prologue: Words

Words have meanings. Ask a dictionary, it will tell you. Words are statements, words are facts.

Colonel Robert Hogan has always believed in words.

Or at least in their meaning. Words have served him his entire life. He used them to make people do what _he_ wants without them noticing it. He was good with words.

One day he started realising that there was more about them.

Corporal Peter Newkirk has always doubted words.

Or at least dictionaries. He knew that there was more about words, but he never understood. Nevertheless, he tries, so the words followed him until one day.

Then they caught up with him and led him to what they really are.

Colonel Robert Hogan. Corporal Peter Newkirk. Two people who understood the words in different ways. Two people whose life will change because of words. Because they slowly start to understand.

Two people. A lot of words. And a lot of things to talk about.


	2. chapter 1: alone

Hey there! My first fanfiction, mainly written to improve my English writing style. Please note that I am not a native speaker (except from the few German that will be used later), so please correct my mistakes^^

This story is inspired by a part of "The bookthief" by Markus Zusak.

And we all know it: the characters are not mine, just the idea.

And one last thing I have to say: thank you Fenton Hardy Fan for betaing this story...you are such a big help3

Chapter 1- alone

_alone- being on one´s own, by oneself; having no other present; unaccompanied (source: Oxford English dictionary)_

It sounded easy when Kinch received the message from London.

"A truck will cross the Düsseldorf bridge this evening at 2200 hours. It contains plans of the new German planes. We need these plans."

Hogan looked at his watch and sighed. "They don't give us much time, do they?" He sighed again.

Four hours are long enough for him, Newkirk thought. He sat on his bunk and tried to write a letter. It didn't really work because he simply didn't know how to start.

"Ok, then simple. If they couldn't use the Düsseldorf bridge, they would have to take the Hammelburg road." Hogan took the map that Carter brought. "There is an old checkpoint on this street. I think we'll reopen it."

The others looked at him, not sure what to think about this plan.

"Come on, while their papers are inspected, we can take photos of the plans."

"And how will we make them use the road instead of the bridge, mon colonel?", LeBeau asked. Hogan smiled and looked at Carter. "We'll blow it up."

Carter looked at him with shining eyes. "Really? That's brilliant. This bridge will go down like...like eh...a bridge. Just..."

"Andrew?", Newkirk interrupted, "Just hold it."

Looking disappointed, Carter turned to Hogan who explained the details.

"Kinch, contact the Underground, we need two people at the checkpoint. LeBeau and I will take the photos. Kinch, Carter, you'll blow up the bridge and meet us near the road. Then we'll go back to camp. All right?" Hogan looked his men in the eyes.

"Always", Carter confirmed.

"Sounds easy, Colonel", Kinch said while climbing down the ladder.

"All right", LeBeau agreed.

"What about me?", Newkirk asked, wondering if Hogan would leave him at the camp.

"You sit at the table and write your letter. Will work better than on your bunk, trust me. Or do you want a secretary?", Hogan answered. Everyone smiled except from Newkirk who rather was annoyed. Jumping down from his bunk, he said: "I'm fine guv'".

"Are you?", Hogan asked.

Newkirk wasn't sure himself, but he wasn't going to stay in camp. "Sure", he finally replied.

Suddenly, Hogan took Newkirk's right hand and carefully pressed the thumb down. Newkirk groaned in pain.

"Ah, I see", Hogan shook his head, "You need rest, you know?"

"I didn't move my hand for two weeks", Newkirk protested.

"You'll need at least two months. When we are out there, I want everyone fit. It is better for you and for us if you stay here. And don't tell me it's nothing. Tendinitis is not helpful on a mission."

Newkirk knew that Hogan was right, but he _felt_ that there was more about this mission. He could always rely on his instinct, and now it warned him that something was wrong. After a moment, he gave in.

"Right, guv'"

"Fine, then we'd better start preparing", Hogan decided.

"Schultz is coming", Carter suddenly said. He was right, the German guard entered the barrack a few seconds after the warning.

"Achtung!", Schultz yelled. Then he saw the heroes standing around the table and asked: "What is going on here? Colonel Hogan, you're not planning any of your monkey business, please? "

"Ah Schultz, no no, just a little walk around the woods. To the Hammelburg road. Nothing to worry about", Hogan said, smiling when he realised the Sergeant's face looked shocked. Newkirk felt sorry for the guard. It's not easy with Hogan in the camp.

"I know nothing. Nothing.", Schultz whispered.

"Then, would you like it better when I say that we're just watching Newkirk writing a letter with his left hand?", Hogan proposed.

Schultz looked happy. "I'd like to see that", he smiled.

Forget your sympathy, Newkirk thought. "Hey, my letter is private", he complained.

"You didn't even start, mon ami. We'll just read: "Hey, how are you? I am as fine as I can be as a POW"", LeBeau said.

"Thanks for the introduction. I didn't know how to start." Newkirk took the piece of paper and the pencil from his bunk and sat down at the table. Then he wrote:

Hi Jen.

How are you? I am fine, I think. Sorry I haven't written to you yet.

He could hear the others whisper in surprise. That made him smile despite the uncomfortable feeling he still had.

"I am once more impressed by your skills", Hogan said.

And Carter added: "You can write with your left hand?"

"I can do everything with my left hand, buddy, as good as with my right one, nearly. I am out of practice, but I am ambidextrous you know?", Newkirk explained.

"Come on, don't lie. You are not", Carter said.

"Sure I am."

"Colonel Hogan, Kommandant Klink wants to see you in his office", Schultz said, apparently remembering why he was in the barrack.

"Then I'd better not let him wait. You know what to do", Hogan looked back at his men.

"Yes, sir", everyone, even Newkirk, replied.

After Hogan had left, Carter picked up the discussion again. "You're not ambitrexous. Either you are left- or right-handed. You can't be both."

"Andrew, I am. I know it."

"André, just leave him. You know him, he always tells tales", LeBeau interrupted.

"Okay, mates, here we go. My dominant leg is my left one...I think. My dominant eye is my left one, I am sure about that..."

"There is nothing like a dominant eye", Carter complained, but Newkirk went on, "...but I have no dominant hand. My mother got me tested when I was six."

"If you say so", LeBeau smiled.

"Don't you have to work?", Newkirk asked, knowing that both of them wouldn't believe him. And he needed his concentration because he still didn't know how to write his letter. He knew _what_ to write; however, he also knew he wouldn't finish the letter tonight.

A few minutes after lights-out, Hogan, Kinch, LeBeau and Carter headed towards the ladder. Newkirk stopped them just before they reached it.

"Be careful, please", he said. The feeling that something was going to go wrong had increased during the past hour and was now more of a panic.

"Nothing to worry about, Newkirk, it's an easy mission. We'll be back at one or so.", Hogan said and then climbed down the ladder. The others followed him downstairs, only Carter hesitated for a moment and said: "Keep calm, boy. Everything is fine. Piece of pie."

Carter was in the tunnel before Newkirk had the chance to correct the saying. He sighed, then closed the entrance and jumped on his bunk, trying not to hurt his thumb.

While lying in the darkness, Newkirk couldn't sleep, so he thought of his childhood. His mother had given him a dictionary as a present on his ninth birthday. This dictionary still stood in his flat, he often used it and even _read_ in it nearly every day. In a POW camp in Germany, he now remembered the explanation for alone. Being on one's own, by oneself; having no other present; unaccompanied. The hell he was. He was surrounded by ten other prisoners in here, but he was alone right now. He always knew that his dictionary was wrong, he just couldn't prove it until now. As it turned out, a bunk in a German POW camp was the perfect place to start his own dictionary. And of course, the word was "alone".

_alone-the feeling of being left behind_


	3. Chapter 2: silence

Thanks for the nice reviews!

chapter 2 - silence

s_ilence - The fact of abstaining or forbearing from speech or utterance (sometimes with reference to a particular matter); the state or condition resulting from this; muteness, reticence, taciturnity (source: Oxford English dictionary)_

After they had changed into black, Hogan, Carter, LeBeau and Kinch left the tunnel and made their way through the woods to meet the Underground agents. It was a warm night in spring and the sky was full of clouds. When Hogan saw two people in German uniforms, the four ducked behind a tree but were seen by the Germans. Hogan was relieved when he recognised two Underground agents, Walter Bauer and Johann Herder.

"Your uniforms are very convincing, gentlemen", Hogan said to the men who smiled as a reply.

Kinch and Carter left them, they had to go to the Düsseldorf bridge to blow it up in time. Meanwhile, Hogan, LeBeau, Bauer and Herder went to the old Checkpoint. In fact, it did look as if it was still in usage. There was a manual barrier and a little hut, nothing special but perfect for their purpose.

Hogan looked at his watch. Ten minutes to ten. So far, so good. In the distance he heard a noise. Kinch and Carter had done their job.

"LeBeau, let's get into the woods", Hogan ordered.

For a few minutes – that seemed like an eternity for everyone – everything was quiet. The silence surrounded them so that they barely dared to breath. Hogan used this time to think of the argument he had with Newkirk. He had thought that the Corporal was just bored. Now Hogan realised that there had also been concern in Newkirk's eyes. In the dark woods while he was soaked with silence, Hogan started to understand Newkirk's worries.

The time for thinking ended abruptly when a truck came down the road. Behind him, Hogan could hear Kinch and Carter coming to his and LeBeau's position.

The truck slowed down when the driver saw the barrier. Finally, the truck stopped.

"Ihre Papiere, bitte", Herder said.

The driver gave them to Herder who went to the hut to "check" them. Hogan and LeBeau, two shadows in the dark, were already in the back of the truck. All they saw was ammunition at first, but then LeBeau found the plans. Using a torch to illuminate the darkness, they took photos of each paper and put it back to where they found it, all without a sound. Still soaked with silence.

At first, nobody noticed the black car. When they did, it was to late. The car had driven its way a few minutes behind the truck. Now it has reached the checkpoint, too.

Three men jumped into the truck. Obviously they had seen the light. One of them had a torch straightly shining into Hogan's and LeBeau's eyes. The others seemed to have rifles in their hands.

"Aha, look what we've found here", the man with the torch said.

"Major Bergmann, hier draußen sind noch zwei!", someone shouted from outside.

Kinch and Carter.

"Are there more than you four? Who are you?", Major Bergmann asked.

Despite the situation, Hogan still wasn't able to break the silence. But this time, the silence was in his head. And his mind was not soaked with silence but wrapped in it so that it couldn't even realise that there was more than this mind-freezing silence. Hogan could not think of any word to say.

It was the first time he didn't know what to say or how to react. His mind was stuck. His body appeared unable to move. From this position he did not see a way out of this.

"You don't want to talk? No matter, I know a nice place where we can speak. And you will speak.", Major Bergmann menaced.

Hogan wasn't impressed by this threat, he was far to surprised and confused. He saw his men staring at him, apparently wanting a plan. He felt the weight of responsibility sitting on his shoulders but he couldn't help. He had no plan.

It was quarter past ten. It was a warm spring night. The clouds prevented the moon and the stars from shining on the earth.

A few Germans caught four men who obviously were spies.

These few Germans brought their prisoners away.

Two German Underground agents looked on helplessly as they left.

And Hogan's mind was finally able to think one word.

_silence – the absence of any noise or thought_

Translation of the German phrases:

Ihre Papiere, bitte - your documents, please

Major Bergmann, hier draußen sind noch zwei - Major Bergmann, there are two more out here


	4. Chapter 3: responsibility

Hey, I'm back^^

I know it took some time for this chapter, sorry for this. But here it is, have fun reading.

chapter 3 – responsibility

_responsibility- the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone (source: Oxford English dictionary)_

"What?"

Newkirk heard Baker as he entered the tunnel. He hadn't been able to sleep, he hadn't been able to write, he hadn't been able to stay in the barracks either. So he had decided to visit Baker, who watched the radio while Kinch was away. Newkirk wondered what might have upset Baker.

The radioman listened carefully to the message he was receiving.

"I can't believe that", Baker said.

"What's up?", Newkirk asked. The panic he had suppressed the past hours came back at once.

"The Underground agents who had been at the mission reported that Colonel Hogan and the guys were captured", Baker summarised the message.

"What?", Newkirk exclaimed. He had the right feeling. Now he was shocked. He couldn't really believe what he had heard. And somewhere in his head, he heard the question: What now?

"Who captured them?", he asked. It was important to know everything, even the most unimportant fact. The guv' had always said so. Wait, he isn't dead, Newkirk reminded himself.

"Wehrmacht", Baker answered.

"Not the Gestapo?" Nekirk was surprised. Spies were normally an issue for the Gestapo.

"Not yet, but I think it's just a matter of time", Baker analysed. Then there was silence. Both men were thinking about the problem.

"What if they say anything?", Baker suddenly asked. Newkirk saw fear in his eyes, but he himself was also afraid. The whole operation was in danger. And, more important, his best mates were in danger.

"The Underground also said that they will let us know if the Wehrmacht contacts the Gestapo. And they're preparing to evacuate", Baker slowly added.

"We should do the same", Newkirk realised. How much time do we have? How much time do _they _have?

"We are going to evacuate the camp?", Baker wondered.

"Not if we can prevent that. Contact the Underground and asked them for details. Who exactly caught the guys, where they are now...everything that's known to them."

Baker smiled. "All right", he answered.

Newkirk went to the ladder. His mind was racing. An evacuation had to be planned, but he also had to think of a way to get the guys back.

He got into the barrack, woke everyone and explained the situation.

"Nobody will come tonight, there was not enough time for the Germans to figure something out. And you know the guv', maybe he'll come up with a crazy plan and the guys are back in the morning. But if we have to evacuate the camp, we must be prepared", Newkirk finished. During his speech, he thought of a solution for an evacuation. "Okay, we'll do it this way. The highest-ranked man in every barrack works on an evacuation plan for everyone in his barrack. They have to take care of fake documents, escape routes and meeting points."

No one argued. Newkirk didn't know if it was because no one had a better idea or because everybody still was too shocked. He didn't care, for he was working on a plan to rescue the guys already. Wait, why do I do so? I'm just a corporal, he suddenly thought. There were indeed many men who outranked him, but when he looked in the faces around him, he saw young men that were forced into war. Like him. The Colonel was their leader. A man all of them had respected. And now the Colonel was away and needed help himself. The men were uncertain. They needed a new leader. And because he had worked with Hogan for so long, Newkirk was the man. He suddenly felt overwhelmed by the responsibility.

"You should sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day", Newkirk proposed. No one protested. No one really slept either. Nevertheless everyone lay quietly in his bunk when Baker finally climbed into the room. He gave a note to Newkirk, who in turn sent Baker to bed.

Newkirk didn't sleep that night. He studied the note Baker gave him. And slowly, a plan started to form in his mind.

"Roll call! Everybody out out out!", Schultz yelled into the room. The men slowly left the barrack and positioned themselves in front of it. Everyone was tired. Additionally, Newkirk had a backache.

The morning was cold but clear. There were few clouds so the sun shone into camp as if everything was fine.

"Eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs...", Schultz counted, but then he stopped. "Where is LeBeau, were is Carter, and where is Colonel Hogan?", he asked.

"You forgot Kinch", Newkirk alerted him. Normally the expression on Schultz's face would have made Newkirk laugh, but this was no normal morning. "You remember the little walk around the woods? Looks like the walk is going to be a little longer", he explained emotionless.

"Report!", Klink yelled and came over to the group.

"Herr Kommandant, ehm...there are …. four prisoners missing", Schultz admitted.

Klink at first looked sceptical, then glanced over to the eleven prisoners and finally gave the command to search for the escapees. After that, he came over to the prisoners.

"Where is Colonel Hogan?", he asked angrily.

Where you would never expect him, Newkirk thought. "He's missing."

"I can see that, I mean where is he going?", Klink shouted directly into Newkirk's ear.

Good question. To an execution? After the interrogations, of course. These thoughts nearly made Newkirk cry. The team had been in dangerous situations before. But none was more desperate than this one. Maybe Colonel Hogan could think of a plan. But suppose the guys were forced to speak somehow. In that case, Newkirk would be the only one of the core team to survive. He just wanted to cry. But he didn't. Instead he laughed.

Klink looked distracted. "Why are you laughing?", he asked sharply.

"I don't know. I'd prefer crying, really." Newkirk still chuckled.

"What do you mean?", Klink wondered.

"Colonel Hogan didn't take me with him, so how could I know where he is going?", Newkirk explained. Some dogs barked outside the camp. But they won't find the Colonel.

"Fine. Everybody stays in the barracks", Klink ordered.

"Until?", Newkirk wanted to know.

"Until the war is over!", Klink exclaimed angrily. Then he turned around and walked back to his office.

The prisoners returned to Barrack two. Schultz accompanied them. "When is Colonel Hogan going to come back?", he asked.

"We're working on that", Newkirk replied, wondering if they really had a chance to help before it was to late.

"_You _will bring him back?", Schultz wondered. Suddenly, everyone in the barrack stared at Newkirk who swallowed.

"You don't want to know this", Newkirk whispered.

"You're right", Schultz confirmed. "Just do it fast, will you?" The guard left and Newkirk closed the door without an answer. Feeling the weight of responsibility sitting on his shoulder and overwhelming him, he turned to the men. "Okay, we'll do it this way..."

_responsibility- the feeling that everyone relies on you_


	5. Chapter 4: trapped

And from the darkness, a shadow is rising...o no. Just me. Somehow back again...Shame on me for my long absence. I feel really bad...I do try to update more regularly from now on. But I won't promise anything I can't keep...

Special thanks goes to Basketballgirl Kaitlin, for she is betaing me despite my period of completly no writing. You are great!

And now...have fun^^

chapter 4-trapped

_to trap- to keep somebody in a dangerous place or bad situation that they want to get out of but cannot (source: Oxford English dictionary)_

Hogan, Kinch, Carter and LeBeau sat quietly in the truck. No one said something. Major Bergmann had ordered four soldiers to guard them. There simply was nothing to do in that moment.

The four remained stoic. Their faces were expressionless, their eyes straight ahead.  
Hogan didn't know for how long they had been driving when they stopped. It felt like hours but that wasn't likely. Half an hour? Possibly. Hogan was angry about himself. He should have paid more attention to where they went and how long it took them. It was really not his day.

They were led to a building. It was huge and grey, but maybe it just appeared that way because of the moonless night. However, Hogan couldn't think of his and his men's prison in a different colour. A prison in light blue? No way.

Hogan focused again. He thought they were taken to a prison. Were they? There was no sign which defined the building as a prison, but there was no sign that defined it as anything though. Hogan could be sure it was no Gestapo building simply because there was no Gestapo agent anywhere in sight. So...a POW camp? No barracks at all. A fence, some huts, and this huge house. Their guards took them directly to that building. When they entered, everybody had to shut his eyes against the glaring light.

There was a checkpoint right behind the door where a young corporal was on duty, and apparently had been the whole night. He gave a tired and confused look to the four prisoners and asked "Wer sind die?"

"Gefangene," Major Bergmann replied and led the prisoners and the guards into a long hallway. The corporal was about to protest but a intimidating glimpse by Bergmann made him stop.

They walked down the hallway. At least here were signs. Hogan couldn't read any of them except the "Nicht rauchen" sign. That was no hint where they were. The other signs looked really complicated, but his German was not that good at all.

They finally entered a small room with blank walls and a lattice in front of the only window. Hogan, Kinch, Carter and LeBeau faced the door. Bergmann took a chair and sat down with the backrest in front of his belly, arms on top of the backrest and his head on his hands. He surveyed his prisoners one by one for a few minutes and finally asked "So who are you?"

He got no response. Bergmann sighed and kept on staring at them.

"You know...you can tell me or the Gestapo. It's your choice."

He still received no answer.

"Well, I am pretty sure that you are spies, so the Geneva Convention doesn't protect you. We can do whatever we want to."  
Hogan glanced at his men. None of them changed his expressionless face. Hogan had known before he was in charge of brave, strong and good men and was confirmed once more in this moment. The room was quiet.

"Okay guys, I'm tired, you are tired. Maybe we better speak about this tomorrow. But I need your names at least."

No one said anything. Bergmann sighed once more.

"Fine, then I choose some names for you. You...," he pointed at Hogan "are Peter." He looked at Kinch. "Albus." Then Carter. "Friedrich." And finally LeBeau. "Magnus. All right, we're done for now. Bring them to their cells," Bergmann ordered.

Hogan kept his emotionless face but inside he swore. LeBeau, Carter, Kinch and he himself were taken into different directions. That made escaping a lot more complicated. He knew he wouldn't sleep that night. He needed to figure out a plan. He just had to.

When the door was closed behind him and he was left alone in the darkness, he just sat down and stared at the wall. His head was as empty as the cell he was trapped in.

_to trap- to leave someone desperate and without any options to escape_

Wer sind die?- Who are they?

Gefangene- prisoners

Nicht rauchen- No smoking


	6. Chapter 5: crazy

Back for one more chapter^^ I hope I'll come to write the next one soon, but I promise nothing... Well, hope you enjoy this one though.

chapter 5– crazy

_crazy- mad, especially as manifested in wild or aggressive behaviour (source: Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionaries)_

"Where have you been?" Schultz whispered in relief to see Newkirk. He had been away. Schultz knew that.

Newkirk himself was very happy to be back in camp now. "I have been to the Gestapo headquarters in Hammelburg." He replied. He doubted the quality of his plan back there. Hell, that was the dumbest plan ever.

"You have been where?" Schultz exclaimed. "Oh no, Newkirk, you can't just walk out of the camp and into the town. What if anybody sees you? They'll send me to the Russian front!"

"And shoot me. Well, after a nice talk. So do you think I'd do that for fun?" Newkirk wasn't really angry with the sergeant. He was just exhausted and therefore fairly fretful. He could understand Schultz's worries, but for heaven's sake, he tried to rescue his team, his fellow prisoners, his friends!

"You should see a doctor. You are completely crazy!" Schultz muttered.

"Wanna hear the rest of the plan?" Newkirk proposed. "Just to prove I'm nuts?"

"Oh no you won't...I hear nothing!" And then Schultz left Colonel Hogan's office.

Newkirk wondered if the guard was right. Was he crazy? He remembered many occasions he thought that about Colonel Hogan. But Hogan wasn't crazy. And neither was he. The plan was crazy, he admitted. Crazy. Impossible. Desperate. But their only chance. So he wasn't crazy. He cared for his friends. And they were worth every risk. They are worth fighting for. They are worth...

Newkirk woke up when Olsen entered the room with two cups of coffee in his hands. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep. But he must have slept quite a while, for his neck was stiff from sleeping at the desk. He groaned.

"Here you are." Olsen handed him a cup of very strong coffee. "You look like you need it."

"Thanks."

Olsen had proven himself a very helpful man for Newkirk. Without hesitation he volunteered to accompany Newkirk to town this morning. And he would be on Newkirk's side this night.

They sat quiet for a few minutes, just drinking. 'Coffee is what keeps me alive,' Newkirk thought. He didn't need much sleep, but now he has been awake for...a long time. The nap he just had was good, but not enough. Well, maybe he shouldn't rest though. If every mission goes as well as the one this morning just because of a lack of sleep...

The Underground had done a very good job. Their man in the Gestapo headquarters in Hammelburg was very lucky to overhear a conversation between a Major Bergmann and a SS officer. This Major reported four spies then the agent reported this news to the Underground. They decided it might be a good idea to answer the call to Berlin Gestapo headquarters (which was very likely to happen sooner or later) themselves. They didn't have to wait very long.

Gestapo officer Müller called Berlin headquarters and reported the spies. He talked to General Meier, who was Lukas Thaler, an Underground agent, in reality. General Meier ordered to wait until a special unit arrived in Hammelburg. That was the perfect startup for Newkirk's plan.

So Olsen and Newkirk went to the Gestapo headquarters in bright daylight this morning, dressed in black Gestapo uniforms, pretending to be a special unit from Berlin. They had faked orders from a faked General. But they had real fear when they thought of what could go wrong.

So better not think of it. As it turned out, their fear had been reasonless. The faked orders were enough for them to get everything they wanted. Which wasn't much at all. Just a lorry (the special unit had arrived in a smaller car, not enough for four spies extra) and a train.

"Why do you need a train?" The Gestapo officer asked.

"You see, it is easy to stop a car. It is somewhat harder to stop a train."

So he got the train. The night train from Hammelburg to Berlin was cancelled. The driver would be one of his team, the leader of the special unit informed the Gestapo officer. Then the special unit left. With 'top-secret plans' to be done, as far as the Gestapo officer could tell, he called General Meier who allowed all actions his special unit was planning. He also demanded support for the special unit when necessary.

So far so good.

The camp looked sad with just the guards outside. Newkirk had realized that while waiting for the evening roll call.

Barracks two had been quiet the whole day. It still was quiet now. Some men were sleeping, but most just lay on their bunks and rested. Few were talking. 'You could grab the tension in the air,' Newkirk thought.

Then Schultz entered the barracks. "Roll call! Everybody out, out, out!"

Eleven prisoners followed him. Klink told them what they all had heard a thousand times before: it was senseless to escape, their fellow prisoners will be captured soon, etcetera etcetera.

Newkirk started to worry. He hadn't thought of the case that Klink would check the barracks this night. But he couldn't change the plan anymore. Was there a way to avoid this case? Could he stop Klink somehow? He was lost in his thoughts so he hadn't realized that the prisoners had been dismissed.

When Schultz pulled him gently to the door, the guard asked "Are you alright?"

"O, yeah. I was just thinking."

Schultz followed him into the barracks. "You don't look very good, Newkirk," he said.

Newkirk knew that Schultz wasn't a Nazi at all. Nevertheless it sometimes surprised him how caring he could act.

"I'm ok," he reassured Schultz. "I'm just a bit tired…and worried."

"You will get them back?" Schultz asked.

"I will." 'I know I can. For you, mates.'

"I wish I could do something to help you," Schultz said looking at Newkirk.

"Well, it would be very helpful if Klink didn't check the barracks tonight." Newkirk proposed.

"I do what I can," Schultz promised. Suddenly he recognized what that meant. "So, you won't be here...so you go out there in the night? You are crazy, I knew it..." Then he left.

Crazy. Again this word. He wasn't crazy. And the plan, he decided, wasn't either. It was ambitious. It was reckless. It was brave. It was HIS plan. Well...maybe he was crazy, Newkirk had to admit that. But that was ok for him. He smiled a bit about his newly born passion for words while he was climbing down into the tunnel.

_crazy- being misunderstood_


	7. Chapter 6: emptiness

Hey guys! I'm sorry, this one is rather short...and it took me so long...

Well...a huge thank you to all of you who are so patient with me. I really appreciate your support! And thanks, thanks,thanks to Basketballgirl Kaitlin who betas this. I couldn't do without her!

So...no more talking...here is the story!

chapter 6- emptiness

_emptiness-__a feeling of being sad because nothing seems to have any value (source: Oxford Learner's dictionaries)_

"You haven't slept at all."

Hogan wasn't about to turn to Major Bergmann. He sat at the wall, exactly how he sat down sometimes last night. He was tired. He was desperate for he didn't know how to get out of here. Wherever _here_ was.

"That's...stupid. You know, I called the Gestapo. They're sending some specialists from Berlin. I do not think that you'll have much time to rest then."

Major Bergmann sat down next to Hogan.

"Good morning, though,"

Hogan gave him a confused look.

"What's wrong? My parents taught me to be polite."

Hogan sighed. He was distracted by all the talking. And somehow, he feared that man. He was smart, he was self-confident, and he was lucky. That made Bergmann a dangerous man.

"So I offer you another chance. Tell me your name and who you work for. That will make things a lot easier…for you AND for me."

The wall started to annoy Hogan with its emptiness. It was the only distraction he had from Bergmann's permanent talking. And it was just a wall. A bloody, empty wall.

"This conversation feels...slightly one-sided." Bergmann looked at him. Hogan ignored him the best he could.

"Well, all of you guys are quiet. Okay, except from Friedrich. He talks a lot but he says nothing. Just empty words. That drove me crazy." Bergmann paused and breathed. "Well, he told me he blew up the cafeteria of his high school…and the toilet."

Hogan looked at him and shook his head. Carter was...what was he? He made him smile right now. He was a good man.

"Hey, a reaction! You didn't know about the toilet? This guy is strange."

"He is indeed."

"Well, he reminds me of my son; so naïve. But my son is seven years old…"

"He is one of my best men." He was. And Carter really deserved better than to spend the night in here.

"I thought so."

That was when Hogan realized his mistake. He had revealed that he was the leader of this operation. "You're good,"  
Bergmann smiled. "Thanks. I'm doing the best I can. Would you tell me your name now?"  
Hogan turned away.

"I can tell you the story of your name, if you like me to. Ever heard of the Struwwelpeter? It is a book for children. The children in the book refuse to do what they are told. And then they have to face the consequences."

Hogan filled the room with the emptiness of his silence. Bergmann joined him.

The day passed. He hadn't heard of Major Bergmann after he'd left. Or Carter. Or Kinch. Or Lebeau. He had thought of some plans to escape but none was good enough to actually work.

The wall wasn't helpful at all. He would love to have something to write. The wall could need a few words on it.

Apparently, the Gestapo didn't care to hurry. Hogan wouldn't complain.

A small hope occurred in his empty head once again. He had this thought a few time during the day. Maybe Newkirk found a way to stop them. If he had, he would know where they are. And if he knew, he would come.

Hogan pushed that thought away. Giving in to this desperate hope meant stopping to try to find a way out of this mess.

It meant giving up. And Hogan wasn't willing to surrender yet. Not if he had something to fight and live for.

It must have been some time after sunset when finally someone entered his room, insulted him, put him in handcuffs and led him out. He felt the failure all over his body. He breathed it into his empty lungs and filled them with its bitter-sweet taste.

He lost his last hope when he saw the men in Gestapo uniform next to the entrance.

Kinch, Carter and Lebeau were led next to him. They looked at each other. Hogan wanted to give them a look that said: "I'm sorry." But all he could manage was a face as empty as his head.

e_mptiness-the feeling of disappointing your friends _


	8. Chapter 7: life

Hey there guys! Sorry it took me so long, i broke my Laptopo.O. But here we are, and for I had plenty of time, it is a rather long chapter. Hope you like it!

And a huge thanks to Basketballgirl Kaitlin for fast work and encouraging words! You are amazing!

Now, have fun^^

And yeah, thanks for pointing it out: The chapter indeed looked very strange and was hard to read. I hope it is better now (I am so bad with computers).

chapter 7- life

_life- The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death (source: Oxford advanced learner's dictionary)_

Newkirk repeated his plan all along the way. He checked and rechecked it. He knew it was senseless, he couldn't change anything anymore, so working through his plan would only make him more nervous. But for it was the only thing to do at the moment, he kept on.

Suddenly, Olsen shook his shoulder. "I asked if you were all right."

Newkirk realized that everyone in the truck looked at him. He swallowed. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Everybody kept on asking him that question. Was he all right? Newkirk wondered how Colonel Hogan was able to stand that pressure every day. He never wanted to be a leader because honestly he was none. He was a natural born coward and used to be watching out only for himself. Now he had his friends to care about, and he would give everything he had to get them back safe.

But at what costs? He was risking the life of everyone in the truck. Was it worth it?

How could he even dare to decide on the life of others?

Life is the most valuable thing a human has. How can he command others to do what he wants? But on the other hand, how could he sacrifice the life of his four best friends without even trying to help them? Everyone in the truck, no matter if he was from the camp or an Underground agent, trusted him to do the right thing. They all would happily give their life for Papa Bear, and therefore he had to give his best.

Soon they arrived. The building where Colonel Hogan and the others were held captive was in fact some kind of a research facility. And no matter how this rescue mission would end, the Allies were going to bomb the facility in a couple of days.

"Now or never," Newkirk thought and climbed out of the truck. Olsen stepped next to him, reassuring him by his presence that everything was going to be find. Strange how he did this, but for Newkirk, it actually worked.

They both entered the main building, followed by two Underground agents. Three men from the camp waited at the truck.

The young Corporal on duty nearly fell from his chair as Newkirk stopped at his desk. He had taken care of his appearance to be impressive and intimidating. Dressed as a highly decorated Gestapo Colonel, he was sure he had done that job right.

He ringed the bell on the Corporal's desk to make the young man move. "Euh…welcome, Colonel, euh…"  
Newkirk rolled his eyes and sighed. "Where is the man who caught the spies? Major..." He looked at Olsen who replied "Bergmann, sir,"

"Major Bergmann, euh ja, yes, I can get him...if you would just wait a minute…"

Newkirk somehow enjoyed scaring the Corporal. He was afraid to be caught. He thought of what could happen and would happen if anything went wrong, and yet he needed all his acting experience to stop himself from giggling like an idiot.

Olsen led out a breath he had been holding. "So far, so good," he muttered. When everything goes to hell, you are happy about the smallest success. This part wasn't hard at all. That was yet to come.

In fact, it took the Corporal four minutes to return, but at least he brought Major Bergmann with him.

"Ah I greet you, Gentlemen. I ordered some of the guards to bring your presents. I am Major Bergmann. And I hope you will be leaving soon, otherwise the Corporal here will have a heart attack."

Newkirk smiled dryly. "You have a charming way of telling us we aren't welcome here."

"Well, we have some work to do here. Corporal, have you checked their orders already?" Bergmann asked, but never stopped looking at Newkirk.

"Euh, I…I,"

Olsen sighed, whispered "Idiot" loud enough for everyone to hear, and handed the orders to the young German.

"Who are you by the way?", Bergmann asked.

"I'm Colonel Fischer, interrogation specialist from Berlin. And I can't wait to hear what your guests will tell me. Or have they talked to you by now?"

Bergmann just smiled. "You wouldn't have a job if I was able to do that so easily, would you? Speaking of it...why does a Colonel come here to pick up a few spies? You must be very busy as an interrogation specialist."

Newkirk realized that this man wasn't stupid. He didn't trust the Gestapo, and sure he was clever enough to be particularly suspicious in this special case. After all, he got a point there. This man was definitely dangerous. "If you want to have it done right, you need to do it yourself. And trust me, I am not the only one specialized in questioning prisoners."

"The...orders appear to be...euh...I mean...everything is in order."

"I am _glad_ that you have such qualified personnel here, Major." Newkirk took his chance to figuratively fire back at Bergmann. Better bring him in need to defend than being attacked on his own. Bergmann gave no answer, he just kept on staring at Newkirk who started to feel a bit uneasy. He didn't show it though.

At the end of the corridor some guards appeared, the four prisoners in their middle. "Well, I guess you can leave now. Should we guide you to the station?"

"That won't be necessary, but thanks anyway," Newkirk replied. Then he addressed the guards. "You can bring the prisoners into my truck."

The guards did as they were told. Newkirk tried not to look at them or his friends. Bergmann could get even more suspicious and he didn't need the Major around. The man meant trouble.

"Ah, you know, it would be much better if I had your back. Who knows what the Underground is up to?"

The man wouldn't give in, Newkirk realized. "You know, I am feeling much safer now," he answered sarcastically.

"I am always happy to help the Gestapo," the Major replied grinning.

Newkirk just turned around and went outside. He tried to figure out what the Major was up to. He seemed to know that something wasn't right. This man could easily interrupt not only this, but many future operations. They needed to get rid of him as fast as possible. 'Concentrate on the present,' Newkirk reminded himself as he got into the truck. He knew that his four best friends were less than a meter behind him, in the back of the vehicle. And they were safe for now. The Major could guide them to the station, that didn't make a difference to his plan. And he couldn't follow a train that easy. Newkirk swallowed as he realized that the Major could easily get into the train.

The train already awaited them as they arrived. Newkirk jumped out of the truck, pretending to be as full of energy as a Gestapo Colonel should be. "Bring the prisoners into the train. Hurry! I want to leave," he yelled. The black car stopped next to him and Bergmann got out, just in time to see the four prisoners being pushed into the train.

"Are you sure you don't need any extra guards? I could come with you."

"These are my prisoners now. I don't need your help, Major."

They stood staring at each other, watching for any reaction in the face of the man opposite them, trying to read the other man.

"I just want to make sure that your prisoners arrive safely." Bergmann's bright blue eyes tried to stare Newkirk down. For a moment, he indeed wasn't able to react.

"As you said, you've got work to do, and I've got mine. Unless..." He took two steps forward so that he stood directly in front of Bergmann. "...you want to interfere in a Gestapo operation." He breathed into the Major's face, hoping that this was enough to intimidate him.

When the Major didn't answer, he turned around and entered the train. After closing the door, he paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Never in his life has he been so exhausted.

The train driver was an Underground agent as well, Horst Heyne. Newkirk walked to him and smiled.

"Shall we?" Horst asked.

"Can't wait to leave."

* * *

"Understood, Snow White. Over and out." Newkirk sighed. Snow White was the second of the two Pickup units he organized. He had just contacted them and told them to be ready, for if everything goes well, they would be out and safe in a few minutes.

"Keep calm. The plan is easy, simple, but nonetheless genius. It is going to work...Baby Bear."

Well, apparently he had spoken his last thoughts out loud and..."Wait, Baby Bear?"

Horst chuckled. "You know, there are Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Goldilocks. So Baby Bear really fits you." He looked at his watch and slowed down the train. "I mean, you just saved their lives, and ours, too. And who else could have had as great ideas as Papa Bear if not Baby Bear?"

"You are telling me that one of those guys I captured is the famous Papa Bear himself?"

Newkirk was at his feet in no time, but Bergmann pressed a gun into his face. "You move and you're dead."

"How the bloody hell did you get in here?" Newkirk asked. He just needed a few more seconds, and then the others would leave the train.

"What do you think? I opened the door and entered." Then, Bergmann looked at Horst. "Stop the train," he ordered. When Horst didn't move, the Major hit his head with his gun. Horst fell down and laid there unmoving. In this time, Newkirk grabbed his own gun but he lost his grip on it as Bergmann turned around and punched him in the face. He landed on his back, once again facing the Major's pistol. "You moved."

So this was it. His life would end now. In just a few seconds, Bergmann would pull the trigger and send a bullet right through his head. And that was it. But Bergmann was too late. The others would have met Red Riding Hood by now, so they were safe. That made four lives rescued at the costs of two. Well, three if you count Bergmann who wouldn't get out of the train in time.

It was a beautiful night to die. Yes, it was. Newkirk looked in Bergmann's eyes, these cold blue eyes. There was no mercy in them. Bergmann was going to shoot him…now. And there was another thing. He would not just simply die here. He would die here alone. He would never see his family again, or his friends he gave his life for.

This realization got Newkirk to move. The last sight won't be those eyes. He was going to fight for dear life. He kicked and hit Bergmann's left foot. The Major wasn't prepared for that and fell on top of him, so he took his chance and reached for the gun. They both struggled to get ahold of it, throwing punches and kicks. Finally, Newkirk was able to free himself and grab Bergmann's pistol. As he turned to aim at him, the Major hit him with the gun Newkirk dropped some time before. As he once again fell down, Newkirk closed his eyes, trying to think of something nice and beautiful. The last thought in life shouldn't be hateful.

Then he heard a loud bang and pain filled his body.

_life- everything and everyone you love_


	9. Chapter 8: fault

Nice afternoon to you all who read this! I am happy, I hope you are to^^

Thank you to all who read and review this! And thanks to Basketballgirl Kaitlin! You're incredible!

Now here we are:

chapter 8- fault

_fault - the responsibility for something wrong that has happened or been done (source: Oxford advanced learner's dictionaries)_

Hogan closed his eyes for a moment when the guard let him outside. The Gestapo officer was Newkirk. So he did come up with a plan, even one that apparently worked well. That meant... they actually had a chance to get out of this alive. They were going to survive.

All four of them were placed in the back of the truck, together with some Underground agents in Gestapo uniforms. After a short moment, Olsen jumped in and took a seat. "Stop smiling. If anybody sees you, people may begin to doubt the cruelty of the Gestapo."

They all did as they were told. They weren't out of the trouble after all.

"So what is your plan?" Hogan wanted to know.

"My plan? No, no, no; that's Newkirk's all over. And..." Olsen paused, realizing that the Colonel wasn't listening any more.

"Why doesn't Bergmann get in his car?" Hogan asked. He didn't want this man around. Bergmann meant trouble.

"He insisted to take us to the station. Newkirk couldn't talk him out of that."

"That's not good. This man is dangerously smart. If he gets suspicious, we'll..."

"Pierre can do that," LeBeau said.

Hogan looked up, opening his mouth to argue. Newkirk didn't know that man. He didn't know what Bergmann was capable of. Hogan himself just guessed about that, but…

Before he could vent his doubts, Carter spoke up. "LeBeau is right. Newkirk got us out of here, and getting us back to camp now is a piece of…"

"Would you please stop talking now? The Major's staring at us," Olsen interrupted.

Hogan leaned back, and closed his eyes. He was impressed by the faith the others seem to have in Newkirk. And although he didn't know the plan, he also believed that the Englishman would get them back to camp.

He didn't realize that they started driving already. Bergmann's car was far enough away on the dark road for him to dare to speak again. "Are you okay? Is any one of you hurt?" He asked his men. Now, as they were out and safe for the moment, he started to worry that Bergmann may have hurt one of them. They appeared to be unharmed, but he wanted to be sure. Honestly, he would blame himself for any injury his men suffered. As everyone reassured him that they were all right, he was relieved. Then he turned to Olsen. "You said we are going to the station?"

Olsen just nodded.

"Why?"

"Because we want to be seen."

That made sense. If they just disappeared, the Gestapo would surely start investigations. They definitely didn't want that. The Gestapo was no good. Hogan glanced around the truck. Well...but they made a good cover.

"Would you care to explain the whole plan?"

Olsen smiled. "You'll see."

* * *

Soon they arrived at the station. Olsen went to the station building to call Gestapo Headquarters, informing them that they were leaving so they could come and pick up the truck.

"Bring the prisoners into the train. Hurry! I want to leave."As Hogan heard Newkirk's command, he couldn't help but feel a little proud of his Englishman. The way he screamed it, loud and clear... Newkirk would indeed make a good officer, he just needed a little more faith in his own abilities now and then.

Hogan lost his track of thoughts as he was pushed into the train.

"Sorry about that. Bergmann was looking ," Olsen apologized.

"That's all right, I don't want him to get suspicious either," Hogan replied.

"Boy, you've got the whole train? How?" Carter exclaimed as Olsen removed his handcuffs.

"Oh, Andrew, it only gets better. We'll blow it."

Four pairs of eyes stared at him in disbelief. Olsen just smiled and offered them a seat.

"Okay, guys, look. It would be the best if everyone thought you're dead. So we asked London if they could arrange an air raid for tonight. They have some targets near here anyway. So if we do it right, everyone will think that the planes hit the train and we are dead. " The train started moving sometime during Olsen's explanation.

"But won't the Gestapo get suspicious? There won't be any bodies, and it would be quite a coincidence if those planes hit a train. Not even Klink would be stupid enough to buy that."

Hogan started doubting. Those are things that can be overlooked easily. Details, but very important and lethal to complex plans as this one.

"The Underground will send another unit to investigate the incident, they're doing all this phoning stuff and we deliver the faked orders. Berlin will never hear of you and Hammelburg will be satisfied…more or less."

"So...Newkirk thought of everything," Kinch announced. Hogan, too, was impressed.

"If you asked me, he's been too long with the Colonel. Blow the train we're in...could be you," Olsen said. The train slowed down, and Olsen looked at his watch. "Well, we should leave the train now."

They went to the door. Even though the train didn't go fast, the ground appeared to fly past.

"Why don't we stop? Wouldn't it be easier," Carter proposed.

"There's a street up that hill. Newkirk didn't want anyone to see the train stopping," Olsen explained. "Now jump!"

Jumping off a train wasn't half as fun as it looked like. Hogan landed hard on his shoulder as he tried to roll. He could already feel the bruises forming on his arms and back as he stood up. Then, he went to LeBeau and helped him up. They were in the forest, and the trees would give them cover, but indeed they weren't high enough to block the view on a train.

"Uh, I hate this plan. I need to talk to Pierre about his stupid ideas," LeBeau muttered. Hogan smiled. Things were already going back to normal.

After they met the others, the group walked to the road. A truck was waiting for them, along with an elderly couple. Hogan read the label on the truck: _Bäckerei_, meaning bakery.

"What a wonderful night for a walk," the woman said as they arrived.

"I'd prefer a ride," Olsen replied. "Red Riding Hood."

They got in the back of the truck. Once inside, Olsen closed his eyes, sat down and leaned his head against the side. "That was it."

"That was it?" Could it really be that easy to escape? Hogan wondered. He wouldn't have thought of that. But, he admitted, he wasn't in a position to set that up. Sometimes the easiest way is the best way to go. Or did it just seem easy to him? He knew how hard it was to come up with a plan, especially when everyone expected you to do so.

"We'll change. Red Riding Hood will take us most of the way to town, then we'll walk back to the camp. We'll be back for morning roll call, and you can surrender at the front gate." Olsen pointed at their uniforms that lay in one corner. "We can start right now."

"Where is Newkirk?" Kinch suddenly asked.

"He and Horst, the train driver, met with Snow White. He rechecked the timer on the explosives, that took him a while, so he left the train later and met with another nice couple. All according to plan," Olsen explained.

Somehow, Hogan felt that something wasn't right. Sure it was a good idea to have a backup check, but he'd like to know for sure that every man under his command was safe now. _He_ was the CO. _He_ had to take care of this. Not knowing where his men were always made him feel sick in some way, but now even more so. He didn't even know where Newkirk was _supposed _to be.

"Hey, don't look like that. What could happen? He's not Carter, he won't break his bones while jumping off the train," Olsen joked. The others smiled.

"Hey, I haven't broken my bones. Why would I do that?" Carter complained.

Hogan didn't listen to the conversation any more. He trusted Newkirk's plan and had faith in his abilities, but if something went wrong, it would be _his_ fault only…not Newkirk's, his. _He_ shouldn't get into such trouble. _He_ should make the plans to rescue his men, not the other way around. Whether he was held captive or not, he still had the responsibility for all of his men's actions. He would blame himself if anything happened to his men or the Underground agents whilst trying to rescue him, even though it was Newkirk who made the plan. The Englishman shouldn't have been in need to think of a plan in the first place. The worst thing, Hogan realized, is that he wasn't able to influence something. He felt more like a piece of luggage that was carried to its destination. He just followed Olsen. Was that how all the prisoners they got out of Germany feel? Helpless, hoping that others make the right decision for them? Hogan hated it. He would feel so much better if he was able to _do_ something.

* * *

It wasn't long until roll call as they arrived at Stalag 13. They needed more time than they liked to get through the forest, for the guards still searched for the four escapees.

"That's it. You go to the gate, we go back to the barracks. See you inside!" Olsen waved as he headed for the tree stump entrance.

Hogan, LeBeau, Kinch and Carter went in the opposite direction. Suddenly, they heard someone gasp. It sounded very familiar…

"Hi Schultz!" Hogan greeted the guard.

"Colonel Hogan! Am I happy to see you! Newkirk really got you back!"

"Yeah, he…"

"No!" Schultz interrupted. "I don't want to know! Just please be good boys and come back with me. It is almost time for roll call!"

When they reached the gate and finally entered the Stalag again, Hogan almost felt home. Almost, but he and his men were safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Go get the boys from barracks two for roll call!" Schultz ordered one of the guards. To Hogan, he said, "I need to take you to the big shot now, okay?"

As they walked to the Kommandantur, Hogan looked over to the men of barracks two. The guard started counting. Suddenly, Hogan froze.

"Colonel Hogan, please! Come! Don't stop!" Schultz begged. But Hogan couldn't walk now. He felt his heart beating in his breast, heavier than normal. It nearly hurt. He had a knot in his stomach.

Newkirk wasn't there.

His spot in the rows was empty. And all Hogan could think about was how this was all his fault.

_fault- the feeling of having disappointed others, but especially oneself_


	10. Chapter 9: home

Hey there! Thanks to everyone who is still reading this stuff! I hope you'll like this one... it is nearly finished. Just this chapter and the epilogue.

A huge thanks to Basketballgirl Kaitlin, for being such a patient and great beta, and to everyone who reads and reviews this!

And now...have fun!

chapter 9- home

_home- __the house or flat/apartment that you live in, especially with your family (source:__Oxford advanced learner's dictionaries_

The first thing Newkirk noticed was that Bergmann laid next to him. The second thing was that he hadn't been shot. A look around told him that in fact, no one had been.

Horst knelt down next to Newkirk. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Newkirk took a second to think about it. His hand hurt, and he couldn't move his thumb. So the bang he had heard wasn't a shot at all but his tendon that had torn. "You hit him unconscious," he said instead of an answer. There was no need to make Horst feel bad about that. Besides, they had to get out of the train.

"I had to. He was about to shoot you! Can you get up?"

"Yeah, I'm all right. Take his gun!" Newkirk quickly added while taking his own pistol. Bergmann moaned and opened his eyes just to meet the business end of Newkirk's gun. It felt unfamiliar to hold it in his left hand, but what could he do?

"Get up now, would you?" Newkirk grinned. Bergmann shot a deadly glare at him, but did as he was told.

"We should have left the train already," Horst reminded him.

"Then we should leave now."

Bergmann was about to say something, but thought better of it as Horst and Newkirk both aimed at him.

"You don't by any chance have handcuffs with you, do you?" Newkirk asked. Horst shook his head. A short glance at Bergmann told Newkirk that the Major had no cuffs with him either. The easiest way would be to simply shoot the German, but he was no murderer. Somehow, Bergmann must be brought to England.

"You jump first, and he'll follow you. I'll go last," Newkirk decided. So Horst jumped. Newkirk pushed Bergmann off the train and followed. While he fell, he suddenly thought of everything that could go wrong now. He should have hit Bergmann unconscious so he couldn't escape.

The impact was harder than he thought. But again, everything had seemed easier while he was still planning this mission. Why don't things ever go as planned? Not for the first time this night, he wished to be back home in England without the war and the daily struggle as a POW. But he had a job to do and therefore definitely had to get on his feet now. He walked to where Bergmann was about to get on his feet. The Major looked to the woods.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere!" Newkirk aimed at Bergmann. He didn't doubt that the German was perfectly able to beat him in a fair fight, especially in his condition. He was shocked when he realized that his hand was shaking.

"You couldn't even take a shot," Bergmann said, what Newkirk himself was thinking.

"But I can. So be a nice fella and move," Horst said.

The group walked through the dark forest, just stopping once as they heard planes nearby and shortly followed by the sound of bombs hitting their targets and of a train blown up by its own passengers. Bergmann looked shocked, Horst smiled proudly and Newkirk sighed.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Horst asked concerned.

Newkirk began to walk a bit faster. "Roll call is in 90 minutes. We just need to hurry a bit."

The few minutes they had spend longer than intended on the train messed up the whole timetable. Timing was the most important thing on a mission, shortly followed by having a plan B for all possible contingencies. Newkirk had managed to fail at both. He just hope that he would make roll call.

In the end, it was a good decision not to hit Bergmann unconscious. Carrying the Major through the woods would have cost them a lot more time. Despite that, they were more than half an hour late when they finally met Snow White.

"It is very late for a pause in the forest," Newkirk said.

"We were enjoying the sight of the moon," Snow White answered, quoting the code Newkirk had sent to the Underground. "You are late. And you brought a guest," the man wondered.

"It is a bit complicated," Newkirk shrugged. "We're in a hurry, so can we just get going?" No more words had to be said. The man started the engine while Horst, Bergmann and Newkirk got into the back of the truck. Newkirk watched Bergmann sit down in one corner.

"Why are you staring at me?" The Major asked coldly.

"I decide what to do with you," Newkirk replied and turned to Horst. "Do you know a place where we can hide him?"

Horst thought for a moment and then slowly nodded.

"The next escaping prisoners can take him with them," Newkirk decided. Then he grabbed his uniform and began to change. When he laced his boots, he realized that his hands weren't shaking any more. But it was nearly impossible for him to lace his boots without his right thumb.

"You are a POW."

Newkirk looked at Bergmann and smiled. "Everyone needs a hobby. Life in a POW camp can get really boring, you know?" He looked at his watch. "Blimey, I'll have to run through the forest to get back in time."

"Without your boots laced, you are just going to break your neck. And with Papa Bear in the cooler, we cannot afford to lose Baby Bear as well." Horst knelt down and laced Newkirk's boots.

"Would you please stop calling me that?" He honestly didn't feel as if he deserved this name. He was...what was he? He shook his head, trying to forget that question. He needed to focus. And maybe, he was a little bit scared of the answer.

* * *

Newkirk knew it was reckless, or better said, stupid to run through the forest like he did with all the guards around. He also knew that roll call was in two minutes. He had thought of getting captured, but Horst was right; at least one of the core team had to be in the barracks all the time.

He reached the tree stump and climbed into the tunnel. The stale air filled his lungs with its familiar smell. He went to the ladder and carefully listened if any guard was in the barracks, cursing as he realized that no one was up there at all. He got into the barracks and hurried outside.

"Where have you been?!" The guard yelled at him angrily.

"I'm sorry. I got used to Schultz waking us up before roll call to get dressed," Newkirk answered, too tired to think of a cocky remark. Just as he saw Hogan, he felt a bit better. The Colonel smiled at him, and Olsen placed a hand on his shoulder. The best feeling in the world, Newkirk decided, is watching things finally fall in place after watching them fall apart for so long.

Klink came out of the Kommandantur, nearly falling over the steps when he saw Schultz with the four missing prisoners.

"Colonel Hooooogaaaaaan! Where have you been?"

"Oh, we just left Nürnberg when I realized we had the wrong map. Maybe you could use a map of Stalingrad?"

"Hogan!"

Hogan shrugged. "Just asking,"

Klink glared at him. "Schultz, take these men to the cooler. They will spend the next three months in there!"

"Jawohl, Herr Kommandant!" Schultz saluted and then he went off to the cooler, chatting with Hogan and the others.

Klink turned to the guard. "Report!"

"All prisoners presented and accounted for, Herr Kommandant!" The guard yelled, making Newkirk wonder if this guard was even able to speak in a normal volume.

Klink looked at the men of barracks two. Newkirk fully expected him to have a speech about the greatness of Germany on average and of Stalag 13 in particular, but was relieved when Klink just dismissed them.

When Newkirk entered the barracks again, he felt all eyes on him but didn't mind this time. He was just glad to be home.

_home- where you belong to_


	11. epilogue: heroes

O my god...this is it! Thanks to everyone who read this! You made this a great adventure to me! Thanks of course to Basketballgirl Kaitlin for her work as a beta. YOu are amazing! And now...the last words:

epilogue- heroes

_12 days later…_

Hogan turned his face to the sun the second he got out of the Kommandantur where he, Kinch, Carter and LeBeau had spend the last thirty minutes. Klink had made it very clear that his POW-camp was the best throughout Germany, and no one will ever escape. Therefore, they could as well go back to the barracks and spread the word.

The past days had been boring. They had ended up in one of the few cells without a tunnel entrace, so they really couldn't get out. Newkirk and Olsen had come for a talk a few times, but Schultz had refused to leave them alone, mainly because the German guard had become a bit overprotective since Newkirk had a bandage around his right hand.

Hogan was curious to hear about that. All he had got to know so far was the official version Schultz was happy with: Newkirk had stumbled. Schultz didn't believe that, and neither did Hogan. Schultz didn't ask further questions though. He didn't want to know. Hogan did.

As they walked over to the barracks, Schultz begged: "Colonel Hogan, please, do NOT do this again. You gave me a heart attack. You shouldn't get me in such trouble."

"Ah, Schultzie, we wouldn't leave. And if we did, we'll take you with us," Carter reassured him.

Schultz seemed to be happy with that answer. He looked very happy to bring his "boys" back to where they belonged. However, he didn't seem to be happy about the fact that the inhabitants of barracks two were gathered around the common table and suspiciously did nothing than looking at the door.

"What are you doing? No! Don't tell me!" Schultz quickly added as Newkirk opened his mouth. "Colonel Hogan, tell him he should let that be, whatever it is. YOU are enough trouble to deal with!" With that, Schultz hurried to leave.

He sometimes felt very sorry for Schultz, Hogan had to admit. Life wasn't easy with prisoners as himself and his men.

Newkirk sighed. "You can't imagine how glad I am to have you back. And don't ever leave me here again. I started to feel really lonely without you around."

"That's not fair. I was at your side the whole time!" Olsen complained.

"You were out on missions while I was stuck here."

"That's not my fault. You send me, Sir," Olsen smirked.

Newkirk rolled his eyes. "Colonel, I hereby apologize for every cocky remark I ever made. This is really driving me crazy."

Hogan smiled. "Never mind. I don't think you are capable of keeping your mouth shut anyway. So, what were you doing?"

"Rechecking the mission for tonight. Bombing the Adolf Hitler Bridge." Newkirk explained.

Carter's eyes grew wide with enthusiasm. "Really? I like this one. When are we going?"

"You aren't going anywhere." As he saw the disappointed look on Carter's face, Newkirk continued. "See, I wasn't sure if I can get you out for tonight."

"How did you get us out, then?" Hogan asked.

"It wasn't that hard at all. I just asked Klink if he really wants to deal with me in charge for the next two and a half months."

They all laughed at that.

* * *

"You wanted to speak to me, Sir?" Newkirk asked opening the door to the office.

After listening to the reports on the past few missions, Hogan had gone into his office, thinking. There were a few things he had to work out. He was grateful to be back in his own room. Privacy was rare in a POW camp. He had spend his time until roll call lying on his bunk. Indeed, he wanted to speak to Newkirk after roll call, but had to wait until the Englishman returned from the tunnel where he had given last instructions to Olsen and two other men from the barracks. Now, he stood in the doorway, looking a bit pale and thinner than Hogan remembered him. The stress had worked on the Brit, Hogan realized.

"I just wanted to congratulate you properly for your work."

Newkirk gave a short laugh, closed the door and leaned against the bunk. "But did you realize that I really messed that up?"

"Not more than I did," Hogan smirked. "I wasn't able to deal with Bergmann."

"Well, I just survived because Horst was around. And you would have talked Bergmann out of coming to the station in the first place. You are good with words."

"Oh, I think you aren't that bad either."

"Words are liars."

Hogan looked up at this sudden harsh outburst. "You don't really mean that, do you?"

Newkirk looked in his eyes, but didn't say anything.

"I guess words are what we feel they should be. That's why they fit in any situation."

"Words are what we make them." Newkirk closed his eyes and shook his head. "Gosh, I can't believe I said that out loud."

Hogan laughed. "I like this one. Sounds so poetic."

Newkirk shrugged. "Whatever you say, Gov'." He took a breath and let it out again. "Well, I grab some coffee. You want some?"

"Don't drink so much caffeine; you look as if you need a good sleep."

Newkirk's answer was a humourless laugh. "You should know better. I won't be able to sleep until they arrive here safe."

Hogan smiled. He did understand. He didn't feel any different when he sent someone out on a mission.

"Okay, you're right. Maybe we should open a bottle of wine for a small celebration though. After all, you're a hero."

Newkirk smiled, a real smile from the heart. "We all are."


End file.
